The Playlist Records
by Rinagade
Summary: 1 Notebook. 1 Playlist. 1,000 Problems. Ino and Sakura still aren't over the Sai Incident. Sai's with Ino but has a huge secret. Ino might like her ex. Sakura likes the new guy but still might Sai. Sasuke might like this one girl. And Shikamaru's screwed.
1. When I'm Small

_!$%^%&*()\]!_

_The _**Playlist** _Records_  
><em>~x.<strong>Body<strong>Electrik.x_

_`-/=+][\]~$%^&!_

* * *

><p><em>When life gives you lemons,<em>

**_make grape juice, sit back, and let the world wonder how you did it_**

* * *

><p><strong>note /** i had fun writing this. and i hope you guys like it

**disclaimer/ /** i do not own anything but the plot

**inspiration/ /** _Music Listography_ by _**Lisa Nova**_

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><p><strong>When I'm Small<strong>

* * *

><p>"Sakura Marie Haruno!" screamed her mother from the tip of the stairs. Clad in her signature apron and oven mitts, she stomped up the stairs to bang on her daughter's door.<p>

"Wake up or you're going to be late!" And with that, she stomped back downstairs to let her muffins out of the oven.

Sakura jolted awake -like most of her mornings- hair strands everywhere and a drop of drool oozing out of the left side of her mouth. With a moan, she stretched her arms and swatted last nights homework off her cheek. Her eyes widened as she noticed the clock's red numbers. 7:15. Ten minutes before school started.

"OH SHIT!"

Like a tornado through a field of houses, she tore through her room in search of her things that she needed for school.

Sakura Marie Haruno. Age 17. Junior at Konoha High School. A chronic over-sleeper and extreme music believer. Seriously, she loved music okay? She wasn't exactly normal, in a way, (compared to all of the kids that attended her school) with her eccentric style like, the solid black streak through her light pink hair. Or maybe the way she wore vintage clothes instead of the kind of name brand stuff that everyone wore.

It was only recently that she changed from her quiet and shy exterior. Let's just say that once her dad left, a lot of things changed. Like, how her mom was now constantly in the kitchen coming up with new recipes to get keep her customers at her café. Or maybe the changes such as relocating to Konoha in the past year and into a smaller house. And the change like befriending the most popular girl in school, and somehow becoming her bitch after what happened at a single party. But we'll get into that later.

Now dressed in skinny jeans, vans, tank top and leather jacket, she pressed play on her musical device and stumbled down the stairs.

Her phone then buzzed.

* * *

><p><em>Sent at: 7:19 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Hurry the fuck up. Im outside

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 7:20am<em>

**From: SakzFeet**

**To: LazEBum**

Im comin douche

* * *

><p>Sakura breezed through the kitchen, grabbing one of her mother's delicious muffins and rushing out the door. All the while ignoring her mothers shouting about her sleeping habits.<p>

In front of her stood her best friend Shikamaru Nara. A genius at the same high school who was probably the laziest one in its history. Seriously, he never studied nor did his homework and even slept in most of his classes. But somehow he managed to pass every single test and even, all of his AP tests that he'd ever taken. And that pissed some people off, but he didn't care.

"Well this is a surprise!" She motioned to her friend who leaned on the gate to her driveway. He was dressed in his usual attire: green hoodie and brown cargo pants.

"What?" He drawled.

"Well for one," She paused to take a bite of her muffin. She offered some to him which he couldn't turn down because Sakura's mom was like a Chef God. Really. So he snatched a piece from the opposite side and chewed as they walked.

"You're awake and on time!" She said incredulously.

"That's only because my mom installed this loud alarm thing in my room now. So every school morning it like, blasts and halfway blows my ears off." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I fucking hate it."

"Well, that's what you get for being three hours late everyday for like, the past year."

"Yeah, yeah. Finish that Trig homework?"

"Nope." She answered quickly. Busy touching the screen of her mp3.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing<strong>: _'When I'm Small'_ by _**Phantogram**_

* * *

><p>"Yeah, I think I can see the ink of it on your face."<p>

Sakura's eyes widened. "Dammit." Her hands flew up to her face to attempt to rub it off as they now entered the parking lot. Filled with numerous brands of sports cars, the parking lot was meant for those who could afford such things. Too bad her mom or dad couldn't buy Sakura one. But she wasn't complaining.

It's not like Sakura didn't like walking. It was either that or the subway further downtown. Her and her mother weren't poor, really. They lived in a small two-story house. She had a small yet comfy room to herself free of any siblings. There, in that sanctuary of hers was where she stashed all of her music. Music of all kinds.

Anyway, to Sakura, it was the fact of Konoha's Elite ostentatiously showing off their shit that kind of irked her. A little. Okay, well maybe a lot.

"You know," began the pinkette, casting her eyes over to Ino's car - the purple leopard print convertible- parked to her right. Her friends (well, old ones actually) Karin, Hinata and Tenten got out with Ino, all of them looking beautiful, as usual.

"What?" asked Shikamaru as they traveled up the steps.

"I'm waiting for this stereotypical high school hierarchy to end. Twenty years from now watch the nerds run the school."

The boy next to her shook his head and leaned against the locker beside Sakura, his hands tucked in his pockets. "I'd like to see that."

Konoha High School. Home of the Panthers. The principal being Tsuande, a fifty-something year old milf with huge boobs. Well, okay her being a milf is supposedly a rumor. Anyway, being the big and bad leader that she is, she stressed punctuality and excellence. "Always be on time and strive to be the best!" Her booming voice always commanded the attention of anyone in the room…and speaking of the devil….

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!" The intercom's static began to fade. "WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CLEAN SWEEP THIS MORNING! MEANING, THAT ANY OF YOU STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO GET TO YOUR FIRST PERIOD ON TIME WILL BE SENT TO THE CAFETERIA WHERE FREE DETENTIONS WILL BE GIVEN!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Free detentions. Funny. She checked her watch. 7:25. Five minutes left.

"Clean sweep? Where are they getting these names from?" She asked, facing her friend. He shrugged.

She reached inside her locker, past the picture of her dad that she didn't have to guts to throw away and the piles of CDs that threatened to fall from their haphazard positions on the shelves.

She grabbed her notebook.

It was always a tradition for her every year to buy a private notebook, decorate it and fill it with anything on her mind. She loved to write. But not just poems and stories but her inner thoughts and feelings, song lyrics, quotes, ideas, lists and her theories. She stuffed it in her bag.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing:<strong> _'Sunlight'_ _**by Bag Raiders**_

* * *

><p>"See ya at lunch." And her and her best friend separated.<p>

At a slow pace, she turned the corner to the 500 hall to her first period. Creative Writing 1 with Kakashi Hatake. Sure, before she'd signed up for the class she'd heard her fair share of rumors. A teacher who was always late and barely ever taught and how he read Playboy magazines (in the open!) and how he was on a contract so that he couldn't actually get fired.

As she walked in, she noticed, like always, how crowded and chaotic is was. Instantly, she noticed Ino, _the_ former friend, sitting precisely in the middle of the class room surrounded by her friends. Ino was sitting in very close proximity to Sai, a former sort-of boyfriend to Sakura.

As if noticing her presence, she flipped her blonde ponytail and laughed even louder. Why was she in here? Sakura knew very well that Ino hated writing and reading for that matter.

Sai stared at her for a few seconds before reverting his eyes back to Ino's busting cleavage. Surrounding the two were all types of kids, including Lee, the freakishly athletic and energetic guy with the bowl cut. Shino, the creepy guy tat spent his lunch observing ant hills and Kiba, the really hot tan one and Suigetsu, the one with the toothy grin and the hyper kid Naruto, who used to have a crush on her and Neji and Hinata and Karin and Tenten.

Everyone was up and talking or sitting on the desks, of which Tsunade strongly discouraged. Sakura found her seat near the back of the class.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'Kids' _by _**Sleigh Bells**_

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><p>She'd thought that she'd be used to the class by now since it'd already been a month since school started. But still. The way that most of the class looked at her was quite awkward. Sure, she had that drama between Ino, Hinata, Karin and Tenten and maybe even Sai but was it really the whole school's business?<p>

Absolutely not. But that doesn't stop people from spreading the gossip. That's why you gotta _love_ high school.

As a matter of fact, it really wasn't that surprising. Ino was the gossip queen. Finally the bell had rung. And still no teacher.

So, Sakura decided to write. Usually she needed to have certain circumstances in order to write such as:

* * *

><p><strong>1.<strong> A **class period **where you **didn't **_**either**_ know anyone or talk to anybody

**2. **Sitting a _good_ distance away from any **nosy** on-lookers _**(Yeah, it happens.)**_

**3. **A _**nice black ink pen**_ that writes smoothly and several other _m_**u**l_**t**__i_-**colored** pens.

**4. **And _**music**_. Of _course_.

* * *

><p><strong>October, 3<strong>**rd****. Monday**

_7:35 am_

I realized that today is **Day 135 **of Ino's cold shoulder treatment. It's as though I'm Public Enemy 1 now.

And it's alright.

At least they haven't started with the usual, like putting frogs in my locker or the traditional and dashing 'Kick Me' sign on the back. (They've been a bit more creative than that.)

I think I walk with even more confidence now. But still everyday's the same with all the glaring, Tsuande's bullshit slogans, the gross school lunches and the piles of homework.

It's the same at home, mom's crying at night, dad's silent treatment and unknown location. And me staring at the picture of my sister, Sayuri and acting as though she's still here even though she's long gone.

Is it too much to ask for something or someone to change? Or to at least be interesting? I guess so.

-_Love and Music, Sakura_

* * *

><p>She set down her pen and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. Everyone was socializing and texting and whatever. She stared into the back of Ino's head and began to wonder what the last words she'd said to her was. Oh yeah.<p>

It was last Wednesday at lunch when Sakura grabbed her usual green apple canned drink from the lunch line. Like everyday, she'd grab it and head to her usual table with Shikamaru. Ever since she discovered that hair in her creamed corn, she pretty much refrained from buying lunch. Anyway, she'd been walking, her signature yellow earphones in her ears as she passed Ino's table.

At first, she didn't hear anything. But she felt as if someone called her name. So, she turned her head and immediately felt a huge glob of something hit the top of her forehead. And then there was laughter.

Stiffly, she calmly headed back over to her spot (not without muttering several obscenities) as Ino and her grouped shouted. "WHORE!" And of course, she could hear Ino's voice over everyone else's because she probably meant it the most. And of course, she knew that Hinata would never shout it. And of course, maybe Neji might have muttered it. And of course, Naruto probably thought twice before saying it. But the majority of them did.

Shikamaru's face was a cross between a grin and a frown as his troubled friend sat down before him.

"I'm so getting tired of this." mumbled Sakura. She fiercely grabbed a napkin and whipped the mess from her forehead.

Shikamaru reached over a snagged the fork sticking out of the stuff on her head. He studied it for a moment, sniffed it and threw it behind him. "Mashed Potatoes."

"Urgh!" growled Sakura, turning back to glare at Ino but she was already laughing on another subject.

And that was the last word said by Ino Yamanaka.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_**'**__Stars' _by _**Starkey**_

* * *

><p>Her phone buzzed, startling her a bit.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:00 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

this psycho chick Anko just brought in a live snake for biology class

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:01 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

srlsy? Is that even legal?

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:04 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

xactly and now she wants us to pet it

* * *

><p>Sakura laughed softly to herself. She could see Shikamaru's face in horror as Anko brought a ten foot snake closer to him. She was about to ask him if he could send her a picture, but the door to the class burst open; revealing a very tired Kakashi.<p>

"Okay! Okay! Everyone get in their seat and shut up."

Kakashi Hatake. Age 30? Creative Writing teacher at Konoha High School. Also a chronic Playboy reader, smooth talker and consistent late arriver.

The rumor was that Kakashi was always late because he spent his nights with different women from strip clubs. (Which was pretty believable)

The silver-headed male adjusted his eye patch (which he said was from an accident, in which he saved an old lady….uh bullshitbullshitbullshitcough.)

"Okay, you menaces. Today I want you to write about…." he tapped his chin thoughtfully and sat in his comfy rolly chair. (he didn't let anyone else but him sit in it)

"Cabbages."

The room went quiet for a few seconds.

"Huh?" shouted Tenten. "You mean to tell us that you want us to write about a…vegetable?"

"Uh…yeah." He said as if it was completely normal. And it was kind of getting to be normal because he always threw weird topics to write about. They always thought it was because he never actually created lesson plans. So they seemed to be right of the top of his head.

When all of the other English teachers wanted the class to write about our summer break on the first day of school, Kakashi makes them write about our opinion of the drink Vitamin Water. And on that first day of school he said:

"Yes, write about what you guys think about this here beverage." He picked the one up off of Ino's desk that day and twisted it in his hands.

"Well can you give us an example?" asked Naruto as he seemed to be confused.

"Uh…well…" he began to pace back and forth. "I think it tastes like watered down Kool-Aid and that they lie about really having such vitamins inside the repulsive drink. There."

And that was that. Every class it was the same, they'd write about the topic and turn it in on his desk.

"Come on!" cried Karin. "Like, you can't express your thoughts and feelings when writing about a stupid vegetable!"

"Do you have some kind of hostility towards cabbages?" questioned the teacher curiously as he drifted towards her.

"No.." she replied skeptically.

"Good. Then you'll have no problem." He snapped around and wrote on the board 'CABBAGES'.

"Now write about anything that involves cabbages. Like, what color it is or what it reminds you of or how it makes you _feel_." He said this dramatically of course, poking fun at Karin, who just huffed.

Then, like everyday, he sat back with his favorite magazine and his daily coffee.

And Sakura, dutifully attempted to write about the dreaded vegetable. She always did what was assigned of her, well she tried at least. It was just in her instinct. So, she pulled out a green pen and began to write:

_Green. Green. Green._

_Or are you purple?_

_A plant which grows,_

_And feasted on at dinner tables_

_And despised by popular snobs…_

A smile crept upon her face as she wrote. Sometimes, she felt as though she had too much fun writing.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing<strong>**: **_**'**__Miniature Disasters' _by _**KT Tunstall**_

* * *

><p>It had been ten minutes since Kakashi's arrival. And Sakura had already finished but decided to hold her paper until the end of class to turn in. She didn't want to get tripped up by Ino and her goons or something. So she just listened to her music and watched the classroom and what was happening outside.<p>

Like, how Sai squeezed Ino's hand every minute or how Tenten ignored the assignment and watched wrestling on her phone and how outside, a lady left her household with her kid to probably drop him off at day care.

She'd gotten lost in her surroundings until the door opened and the class stopped.

In walked, (to put it mildly) the hottest guy with a tall figure and lean body. He wore these dark grey skinny jeans and a t-shirt with the word 'Monday' on it. His hair was extremely dark, along with his eyes, above which his perfect eyebrows furrowed. Sakura's green eyes stared at the perfect male specimen as he approached Kakashi's desk. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Ino let go of Sai's hand.

"Oops, my bad guys. I forgot to tell you that we were getting a new student today."

The male god's eyebrows rose slightly once spotting the magazine Kakashi was holding. And then he faced the class. Thus, revealing a clear and perfectly constructed face. Damn, Sakura thought.

Lyrics ran through her mind to describe the moment:

_Am I dreaming or are you beaming out? You're just like sunlight…._

Cheesy? Yes, she knew that. But still.

"You guys this is…" he took the schedule that he'd handed him. "Sasuke Uchiha."

In that moment, the class seemed to 'Ooh' and 'Aah' at him like he was a rare creature off Animal Plant or something.

"And where are you from?"

"The Sound." He voice was smooth and sexy like….like velvet.

"All right then Sasuke from The Sound. You can take a seat anywhere you'd like and begin to write about our topic today."

The guy Sasuke stared at the board and then turned to survey the room. And then he walked towards Sakura.

She looked at him then, only for a quick second before averting her eyes back to her paper. She'd noticed that, his hair was spiked in the back and had a blue tint to it. He had a full-set pair of headphones around his neck. And that, on his shirt the word 'Monday' seemed to be faded as if it was homemade. She then found out the irony of it. Today was Monday. Duh…

Anyway, Sasuke ended up sitting in the seat directly behind her. Everyone's eyes were now staring in Sakura's direction. But then she had a thought. She'd ought to make a move before anyone else.

What some people didn't realize about Sakura was that she was very clever and competitive. And that was what made her smirk then as Ino turned her head to gawk at the new kid.

Poor Sai. It was likely for him to be cheated on soon.

The pinkette sat up straighter and twisted around to face the new boy. She smiled. And held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Sakura."

Sasuke hated school, in general. But more than anything he hated _new_ schools. Because that meant that everyone wants to know where you come from, how you got here. Who? What? When? Where? And Why?

All of that jazz bugged the hell out of him. He didn't like meeting new people or teachers. Sometimes he just liked to be left alone and fend for himself and that's why he stared at the pink-haired girl in front of him. With her small arm outstretched and that bright smile. He winced.

Because he had that fear. He'd met girls and guys like this before. The Welcoming Committee. They would ask all of the already mentioned questions. He scrutinized her. She was fairly pretty, he guessed. With green eyes and pink hair with a black streak on the right side. It provided a little darkness to her image. Just a bit.

Slowly, he shook her hand and realized how small and soft her hand was. He pulled away quickly and braced himself for the chatter.

"For this class, all you need to know is that we just call him Kakashi. No matter what Tsunade says, punctuality isn't stressed here, because the teacher's practically late everyday. And all we do is write about these weird topics he assigns us. And don't ask about his grading policy….just don't."

Sasuke gave a curt nod and stared at the teacher. He could work with that. And Tsunade? Who the hell was that?

"So…yeah. That's it. If you have any questions then feel free to ask."

And she turned back around. Okay, so it wasn't that bad. He thought. But she turned around again and added

"Oh and cool shirt."

Sasuke's lip tugged only slightly, into a small smirk. It was unintentional, he told himself.

"Thanks." he muttered lowly.

But then her back was facing him again.

Sakura had to calm herself down. She just saw his perfectly white teeth. And was that a dimple on one side? She wasn't sure. But she was definitely pumped. Wait, until she told Shikamaru.

Ino was looking the entire time. And glared at the pink girl.

Sasuke refused to write about cabbages. Because that was just stupid. He looked down at his schedule and stretched his long legs so that they could reach the back of Sakura's chair. He glared, realizing that he had no clue how to get to his classes. But he had too much pride to ask for help. So, he'd just have to wing it.

That's when the bell rang and first period ended.

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:25 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

thank Buddha im out that class. Dude, she kissed the fuckin snake. she kissed it

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:26 am<em>

**From: SakzFeet**

**To: LazEBum**

Wowww. But guess what?

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:27 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Wha

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:29 am<em>

**From: SakzFeet**

**To: LazEBum**

Ah, nvm ill tell u lunch

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:30 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Just tell me now dammit

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:32 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Sak just tell me now

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:34 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Sak

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:38 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

Sak this isn't funny

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 8:41 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

fuk it. fine

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'With You' _by _**Linkin Park**_

* * *

><p>There was one thing that Sakura truly disliked. Abhorred. Detested. (Whatever word you want to use) And that was unfairness and obvious bias. As a kid, like everyone, she was taught to believe in herself and stand up for her beliefs.<p>

But obviously, once teenagers reach high school that urge no longer exists. And that's because the question is always raised: What's the point?

And that was Sakura's attitude since Ino banned anyone from being her friend. Well, beside Shikamaru.

The voice of the girl that hated her guts (to put it kindly) came on the intercom as the lunch period began.

"Hey it's **BlueEyedBeauty** and **CandyAppleRed**! Good afternoon students! And as the selected music DJ's of your hour long lunch period, we've come to bring you the best music out in the world right now! We'll start today with Brittany Spear's new song 'Hold It Against Me'!"

Sakura tried not to vomit as the ditzy pop music spread throughout the hallways. It wasn't so much the musical artist but the fact that this was all they played. Pop. Mainstream Pop. She extremely disliked how their musical taste was so shallow. How did she become friends with her again?

Anyway, for now Sakura would just have to deal. So she turned up the volume to her music and entered the cafeteria.

"Okay, so what's the deal?" drawled Shikamaru. He was laid out on one of the tables outside and looked up at the sky. Their table was a little secluded from most and had the best view of the clouds (picked out by Shikamaru, of course). Every nice day that they had here, (which was quite often) they both watched the clouds. And they'd come equipped with ear plugs to block out Ino's and Karin's playlist for the day.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>'_Control'_ by _**MuteMath**_

* * *

><p>"All right so in first period today we get this new kid…" Sakura began. At the corner of her eye, she noticed Ino and Karin entering the outdoor lunch area stage right.<p>

"And he's the hottest dude ever. His name is Sasuke Uchiha."

Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed. "Really…that sounds kind of familiar."

"And he's from The Sound. And he sits directly behind me. And he was wearing this shirt that said 'Monday' on it. And I was like, why? And then I realized that today is Monday. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Just the word 'Monday'?" asked Shika.

"Yup."

"Funny."

"I know right? And I turned around and introduced myself and he smirked!"

"Aah."

Sakura pouted. She'd forgotten sometimes that Shikamaru was a guy and he didn't care about this stuff. But she had to let it out somehow! And sometimes she needed to speak of it instead of writing so much.

"And…dude, he's right there!" Sakura hit her friend so that he could sit up and see.

And surely enough, to their left, Sasuke was leaning against the brick wall, headphones on and feet stretched out. He was facing away from them and of course, everyone noticed him because he was just that good-looking.

"Wow." mumbled Shikamaru and he rested his head back on the table.

Sakura kept watching though because Ino and Karin waltzed their way over to the attractive male. She couldn't exactly hear them though. Sasuke took off his headphones and nodded his head. And then he was up and following them back to their table. And he sat down with Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto, Suigetsu and Kiba and everybody. He fit in perfectly in Sakura's old seat in between Naruto and Tenten and across from Ino.

"And now Ino and Karin have dragged him into the group."

Shikamaru didn't look. "Why do you care?"

She took a moment because she was slightly taken aback by the question.

"I…I don't."

Shikamaru decided to leave it at that for now. Because he already how she felt inside. And it really didn't need to be addressed. Sure, he had his differences with a certain blonde over there. But it was over. He didn't need to dwell on it like Sakura was doing. They were over. He was over it.

At that table everyone was in pairs. Well, the majority was.

* * *

><p><span>Suigetsu and Karin. <span>(They _always _fought and made fun of each other. And their fights were _**bad**_. Like, **seriously**. And they'd cheat on each other all the time. But within the next hour or so, you'd see them making out somewhere.)

Tenten and Neji. (They were…well, _confusing_. Tenten was practically **crazy** and **competitive** and **hyper**. And Neji was just so _**calm**_ and _**collected**_. The rumor is that Tenten _**man-handles **_him. Yeah, and it's _believable_. Poor Neji.)

Naruto and Hinata. (The world's cutest couple. They even got _Best Couple_ last year, even though they were both sophomores and only in the relationship for two weeks.)

Ino and Sai. (They're together and….yeah, that's it.)

Kiba and EveryGirlInTheSchool. ( Okay, so he was a player. But he enjoyed it**. Obviously**.)

Sasuke and…? (Does he have a girlfriend? Well, everyone in the school would want to know. _Especially _Sakura. Yeah, _especially_ her.)

* * *

><p>The people at this table ran the school. And they knew it. And now that Sasuke was a part of it. It'd be harder for Sakura to get a hold on him. Or maybe not.<p>

Sakura was close to being hurt about Sasuke's secession into The Clique. But she tried to put on a happy face.

* * *

><p>School was out. Thank Buddha.<p>

Like everyday, she stood a distance away from the exit of the school. Avoiding traffic. She was waiting for Shikamaru because his lazy ass was just so slow. Today, she was going to head to the café to help her mom out. Because her mom was just under so much stress and whatnot.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'Substitution' _by _**Silversun Pickups**_

* * *

><p>So there she stood patiently. That's when she noticed The Hotness. Okay, Sasuke coming out of another exit. He finally got into a hot, all black Camaro. Sexy car for sexy man. Yum. Sakura thought. Ino and Karin waved happily as he zoomed out. Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew Suigetsu and if he was there, he'd flip shit. But whatever.<p>

And then that's when she felt something bump into her. Her arms flew up to push whoever it was off of her. And then she smelt it. And her hands stayed right there on his chest, frozen. The scent that he gave off. So familiar. She knew it like the back of her hand.

It was Sai. And he was practically backing her up against the wall, caging her with his body. And that made her feel uncomfortable, yet comfortable at the same time. Because what they had used to be like this. Close.

But what happened next, shook her up inside. He was looking at her face, but more directly at her lips. His eyes were scorching her and she felt like she couldn't breath. And his eyes slowly, traced her frame. Down to her chest and back up to her face. He didn't smile or smirk or anything.

Sakura bit her lip. Was he bluntly checking her out? She thought he was apparently. But he was pushed away by Naruto, who didn't look at her. And he was followed by Suigetsu and Kiba. Kiba smirked at her, only because he'd previously hit on her a few times. And Suigetsu gave her a dead look.

And they strolled away. She could hear them.

"I can't believe you, dude! Ino's gonna kick your ass!"

Sakura would have just dismissed it then. And probably would get him back later for it, but when her eyes drifted back over to the parking lot she couldn't help but notice one figure looking her way.

It was Ino. And she was looking directly at her. And she looked mad. She definitely saw that.

Oh Shit.

Luckily, Shikamaru stepped out at that moment. Because Sakura grabbed his wrist and they were out.

* * *

><p>"All right, so let me get this straight." Shika sat in front of her at a booth at her mother's (and used to be father's) café. The Leaf Café. Yes, very …. Unoriginal. But try saying that to Sakura's mom.<p>

Anyway, her mother was currently working. Probably in the back doing inventory or something.

This café was a constant place in Sakura's memory. In fact, she met Ino and her friends in this very place. When Sakura and her mother moved here about a year and a half ago, they opened this shop. And it was a hit. Plus, she got to work here up to three times a week for extra cash.

It was cozy here. And the coffee was great. And the people were nice. Now, her mother needed to find another manager and come up with new meals and hopefully expand to other places. And she had to do all of this without her husband.

In front of the two friends, was a set of the café's best muffins, some cookies and coffee. (Which Sakura had to pay for because her mom no longer allowed freebies.)

Sakura took a sip. "Mhmm."

"So, you were just sitting there, no standing. And Sai just runs into you and checks you out."

"Yeah, it was so weird. And then Naruto, Suigetsu and Kiba just pulled him away. Ino was watching and she pretty much threatened me with her eyes. Then I saw you and we ran."

Her lazy friend took another muffin in his hands. "Hmm. So you think that he still likes you or something?"

"He's go to! That look wasn't like 'Oh snap you look good.' it was like 'Oh yeah, I wanna see you naked.'" She paused.

"And tomorrow Ino's gonna roast me in first period in front of The Hotness, I mean Sasuke….I'm a goner."

Shikamaru sighed and crossed his arms. "It's not like she's gonna slit your throat or something…"

"Really." She kept a straight face.

"Yeah…"

"Okay so, when the 'Sai Situation' happened and she vandalized my book bag and locker and desks, plus subjecting me to public humiliation and kicked me out of her clique, that wasn't at all bad?"

"….Well, It's-

"And when you broke up with her after a two year relationship, she did the same thing to you. So, I'm screwed. Tomorrow she's just gonna-

"Calm down….Ino's just….she's…" Shikamaru looked out the window and placed his chin in his palm. They remained silent for a minute and Sakura sipped on her coffee. Decaf, btw.

"She wasn't always like this, ya know."

"Yeah, a revengeful, psycho mad-woman...bitch."

And that's when Sakura looked him right in the face. And she noticed her best friends 'extremely-troubled' look. And she knew.

"…You still love her."

His eyes widened, showing the white around his chocolate brown eyes. "N-No I'm not." See, and that was the thing that gave it away. Shika never stuttered. He never did because he was such a slow and calm talker that it was impossible for him to trip up on words. Sakura knew, that any time when Shikamaru was really uncomfortable or nervous or caught-off-guard, he would stutter.

"It would explain everything. That's why you broke up with Temari."

"…She moved back to Suna and I don't do long distance relationships."

"So…break this down for me." Sakura interrupted, ignoring his statement. "Why did you break up with Ino in the first place?"

"I…mean, we were good, but Temari was being persistent. And I didn't hold back from it and I broke up with Ino before I got too involved with Temari. There."

Sakura shook her hand and sat back. "I remember that day too. I was still close with Ino and she plotted to egg your house and shave your head when you were asleep. I used to feel sorry for you, because you were the first to get kicked out of the group and all. But I ended up just like you." She laughed.

"We're the rejects." He sighed. She laughed.

They were silent again. Her phone buzzed. It was an email.

* * *

><p><strong>Sent at 2:45 pm<strong>

_From_: SoichiroHaruno4639

_To: _Sakz_Muse360

Hey, it's me. Your father. I know it's been a while. I want to talk to you. Call me 871-478-8544

I hope to hear from you.

- Dad

* * *

><p>Her mouth dropped. Her dad just spoke to her for the first time in a year and a half. He didn't even saw good-bye or anything. He was just gone.<p>

"Who is it?" asked her friend, noticing her reaction.

"It's-

"Sakura!" She snapped her phone shut.

She looked to see her mother. Still clad in her apron, and her long red curly hair pulled into a ponytail, her mother stood before them with a bright smile. Although, if you looked closely you could see the bags under her eyes.

"Hey mom, what's up?" She gave Shikamaru a look.

"A lot. Oh, hello Shikamaru. How are your parents?"

"Good."

"Ah, what was I gonna say? Oh, right. I've got to run over to the storage place so I need you to close the café for me tonight. Okay?"

"All right. Sure."

"Great. And dinner will be ready at home. I'll cook some pasta or something."

"Cool. See ya later then, mom."

"Bye!" And like always, her mother was in motion. If only she could get a car and a license and then she could help out. But when it came to driving, Sakura had a specific kind of fear. The fear of getting in a car accident and well, dying a tragic death. So, in order to finally get her permit (she was late) she had to conquer that fear.

Shikamaru had his license and all but hasn't come into a car yet. And his parents actually want him to work for it. Yeah, that's funny. Right?

"What was that?" Hassled Shika.

"…what?" she played dumb.

"The hiding of the phone."

"Uh…it was my dad."

"…really? Didn't you say that he was M.I.A for like a year?"

"Yup. These are his first words to me in a year and some months. And my mom used to always ask if he'd tried to contact me….but I don't think I'm going to tell her about this."

"Why?"

"Because he's gonna try to weed his way back into our lives."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak but the beep from his phone interrupted him. He looked down.

"Looks like I gotta go. See ya later."

He got up from the table and looked at his friend.

"So I think I have a solution for your dilemma in first period tomorrow." He smirked.

"What?"

"Just skip it." And he left.

Sakura pondered on that. First, she knew Shikamaru said that because he that she'd never have the guts to do it. Okay, so she was a goody-goody that followed the rules. And she'd never experienced that thrill of skipping class. It's weird because Shikamaru did it all the time but, Sakura never agreed to it. Yet, he'd still had better test scores than her.

In fact, she kept pondering on it. And went back and forth in her mind so many times that she didn't even realize how fast the day went. Now, the last employee for her mother's café was leaving. A middle-aged woman who was loyal to her mother. She waved and signed out before walking out into the darkness. And Sakura was the only one left.

And then there was silence. Complete silence. Except for the buzzing overhead in the lights. Then she did what she always did. Blasted her own music. She dragged out the huge boom box her mother kept in the back and plugged up her musical device.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'Tighten Up' _by _**The Black Keys**_

* * *

><p>She swept the floors and nodded her head, whistled, and danced. And then she ate some of the muffins in the back. And then she sung along. Then she wiped down the countertops and made sure all of the food was ready for tomorrow's opening staff. Then she whistled. And then she was finally done.<p>

She was gathering all of her stuff and still contemplating the idea of skipping. But there were things that could still happen. She'd even made a list in her head.

* * *

><p><strong>Pros To Skipping First Period:<strong>

1. Dodging Ino's Psychotic Wrath

2. Not being embarrassed and or being pranked in front of The Hotness

3. Uh…not getting stabbed

4. Or shot?

5. Yeah, that's it….wow, that's not a lot.

6. Oh, and avoiding Sai's grossuglyprettysexy face. Yeah.

* * *

><p>And then there were the Cons, of course.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Cons To Skipping First Period:<strong>

1. It'll make me look like a huge coward

2. Not being able to see _The Hotness_

3. Being counted as tardy. :(

4. Possibly getting caught and getting detention

* * *

><p>So, there they were. The options. If she did skip she'd make sure to take Shika with her. Because Sakura would have no idea where to go. Skipping class would be a whole new world to her. And she really needed guidance. She kept stressing about it as she gathered her stuff and turned out the lights.<p>

She stepped out into the night and looked up. In front of her was an old gymnastic studio. It looked old and abandoned. Which wasn't different from the other creepy looking buildings downtown.

That was in her younger days, though. Her dad was a big supporter of it. And she really hadn't got into it once he left.

And she noticed that to it's left was that Akatsuki Auto Shop. Once, when she'd been walking with Shikamaru she noticed a huge crowd of hot guys around that area. And not just hot as in like, Sai. But like a billion Sasuke's all looking sexy near the tons of cars over there.

She tried to remember the features about them but she heard a huge _CRASH! _And then there was a sound of glass hitting the concrete. Sakura was so startled that she threw herself against the brick wall to her right. She then saw a shadow sprinting through the maze of cars in the Akatsuki Auto Shop parking lot. And then it disappeared.

Sakura had her hand on her heart and tried to calm down. But she just remembered that her mother left the cans of pepper spray at the house. So, she was extremely vulnerable right now.

After the silence eased in and the footsteps stopped. She slowly continued to her household, while checking her behind her every five seconds.

Sasuke was panting. And sweating.

He was currently behind the old gym studio watching the pink-haired girl walk away. God, that was close. He thought.

He looked down and saw a huge cut on his right arm. Blood was dripping. And it stung. He really needed to be more careful. He held on to the crow bar in his left hand tightly. And then when the girl was out of sight, he threw himself back into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>note:<strong> be prepared. there's plenty more :\

_~x._**_Body_**_Electrik.x_


	2. Stadium Love

!##$#$^%

_The _**Playlist** _Records_  
><em>~x.<strong>Body<strong>Electrik.x_

_`-/=+][\]~$%^_

* * *

><p><em>When life gives you lemons,<em>

_**Ask for a refund**_

* * *

><p><strong>notes<strong> || not as many _**'now playing'**_ bits in this one. more dialogue.

**disclaimer** || i do not own anything but the plot

* * *

><p><strong>Stadium Love<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Panic<span> Mode. Ultimate Panic Mode. That was the mood that she was in right now. Because she just received a horrifying text message from her best friend this morning. It said the following.

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 6:50 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

wont be at school today. gotta take my dad to the airport. good luck tho

* * *

><p>To Sakura this message had said: 'I'm ditching you bitch. Good luck with your shit. Haha.'<p>

And Sakura may have replied with a very angry 'FUCK YOU!' But after a few seconds she'd apologized and promised to bring him some more of her mother's muffins after she got back from school.

At this moment, she was laying on her bed, fully clothed and dressed and ready. It was now approaching 7:00. And she was nervous. Because of the Skipping Class Plan, Ino, Sasuke, Sai and just well, everything else.

And she was extremely angry at herself. Because she had that stupid song stuck in her head from yesterday. Ino and Karin's radio show that featured 'Hold It Against Me'. She began to hum into unconsciously. Then cursed herself once she realized it.

She breathed in a shaky breath. Her music was not calming her down. And in times like this, she'd just want to lay down and sleep.

However, her mother had already left for some morning errands. So, there wasn't an option of arriving to school with an excuse from her. And thanks to Tsunade's tardy policies and unexcused tardy resulted in a detention. Of which, she'd never had before. Plus, if she were to receive one, then her mother would freak and just flip shit.

So, she'd have to get up and arrive in school. And skip first. But she still didn't know where to go. And still, if she was caught then there'd be the risk of another detention.

But she did have back-up plans such as faking a sickness. Attempting to throw up. And/ or try to have a seizure or something. And to some extent, Sakura felt like she was taking this too far, but she just didn't like to deal with certain situations involving a certain blonde. That's part of the reason why their relationship got so bad over the past year. But Sakura would never say it.

She got up though. Dressed in tight jeans and a small t-shirt hoodie thing. She grabbed a protein drink for the road and left the house.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'Stadium Love' _by _**Metric**_

* * *

><p>The air was crisp and light and happy. Although, Sakura was not. She felt heavy and sick and slow.<p>

She soon crossed into the parking lot, yet again. She'd seen Ino there. Standing in front of her car, books clutched to her chest. Sai stood in front of her and they looked in deep conversation. Tenten gave Sakura a glare, along with Karin. And Hinata was innocently holding hands with Naruto.

She could cut the hostility with a knife. And it was too bad Shikamaru wasn't there. Remember what she'd said about being Public Enemy 1? And she'd said that it was all right. Well, now she's taking it back. Because just then Ino looked at her.

Some people were just pretty. But Ino was so gorgeous, that it was frustrating. Literally. But Sakura snapped out of the gaze when she heard a car zoom close by. In fact two parking spaces down from her was the pitch black Camaro.

Sasuke stepped out then. Looking sexy as ever in a baseball T and jeans. He glanced at Sakura for a moment and walked to the school. Sakura watched him though, and noticed that a bandage was wrapped around his right arm. The faded splotches of blood showed faintly through them.

In front of her, Ino and The Crew waved to him. The Hotness nodded and kept on his way.

Sakura sighed and continued too without looking in her direction.

Once she entered school. She knew that the news had spread. The whispering was everywhere. Sometimes, she'd wish that she really had another friend besides Shika. The closet one that she had, since the incident, was Temari and she moved back to Suna. But she would be the best in this situation. She'd glare right back at every single person and occasionally buck at them as well.

But she was now gone. And who knew if she was coming back.

She walked through the halls with half-lidded eyes and breezed past the glares. When she reached her locker, she leaned her back against it and slid down to the floor. High School was so dumb. God.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_'Underneath This Smile' _by _**Hilary Duff**_

* * *

><p>Her attitude toward her plan for today was changing. She was beginning not to care. So what if Ino was going to humiliate her? She'd already experienced it several times before. So what was the big deal? And if Sasuke happened to be there, it wouldn't matter. It's not like she'd even have a chance with him anyway.<p>

And this was where that same attitude came into play. What was the point? Of doing anything anymore?

So, when the booming volume of Tsunade's voice came over the intercom announcing yet another 'Clean Sweep'. She didn't panic. She rolled her eyes. By now, everyone knew this was coming. So what was the point of announcing it everyday?

She peeked open her eyes and noticed the hallway thinning out. It was almost time. It was either face Tsunade's wrath or Ino's.

Just then, she felt the presence of someone. She looked left to see Sasuke Uchiha again. A good five feet away from her, he stood leaning, headphones on and head titled up towards the ceiling. He didn't seem to be in a rush to get to class.

His eyes slid to Sakura and then he turned towards the opposite direction and began to walk, hands tucked in his jean pockets. That was the definitely the wrong way to first period.

So he's skipping too, huh? Sakura thought. That's hot.

Then she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

* * *

><p><em>Sent at 7:29 am<em>

**From: LazEBum**

**To: SakzFeet**

havin fun skippin? ha, if not there's an old music room that's vacant that I use. it's at the intersection between the 600 and 700 hall. keys in my locker. You know the combo. good luck

* * *

><p>Sakura smirked. Sometimes, Shika was the best. Sometimes.<p>

So scratch all of the that 'she doesn't care' stuff. Fuck it. She'd rather hide from her problems. That was the right way. Right?

But her happiness was interrupted. She heard footsteps. Tsunade was coming.

"WHERE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?"

She wasn't talking to Sakura but to some wanderer in the hall around the corner. She was close by. And that meant that she didn't have much time.

She quickly stood up and began to put in combination in the locker beside hers. She knew it by heart because they were best friends and all.

37-5-11

And it was open. Shika barely used the thing because he didn't bring a lot to school anyway. She found the key hanging off to the side. Then she grabbed it and ran.

Because of her training as a gymnast in her previous years, she was very athletic. So she reached the intersection pretty fast.

"600 and 700 hall." She mumbled to herself. She skidded to a halt.

But there was a problem. Where was it? She looked down both halls and didn't see any door that may look like an abandoned music room.

Then she came across an old door that looked to be quite hard to notice. It had a rusty sign on it that said 'No Trespassing' in faded orange letters. Around it, it said other things like 'Out of Order' and other graffiti. She opened it with the key and the door creaked open. Inside was a huge room with a bazillion instruments piled on each other. Plus, it was dark and dusty.

She began to wonder. How did Shika find this place? Better yet, how did he get a key to it?

She still stood in the doorway. Not yet ready to step foot into the threshold. She hesitated.

That's when she heard her voice again.

"HEY! YOU PRETTY BOY! WHERE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?" She bellowed.

Sakura had a feeling that she knew who it was. She peeked back around the corner to see Sasuke looking in the direction of Tsunade, stomping her way over to him. With one eyebrow raised. He defiantly stood his ground.

Sakura partially rolled her eyes. Of course, the dude will try to be all macho. But new kids didn't realize the power that this woman had. And it was scary. Very scary.

So, again Sakura acted without totally thinking it through. She peeked back around the corner and grabbed the sleeve of Sasuke's shirt and pulled him around the corner.

"Hey!" He yelled as Sakura dragged him into the room and closed the door.

"What are you-

"Shh!" Sakura pressed her ear against the door and listened.

"Hey! Kid!" Tsunade's voice carried past the door and down the hallway. Once she could no longer hear her, she turned around to meet a very angry Sasuke.

"Why did you do that?" He glared, closing in on her.

Sakura sighed and pushed herself off the door. Her eyes stared into his. "Because you don't want to get on Tsunade's bad side. She'll eat you alive. Literally."

Sasuke laughed. "Really. I think that I would've been just fine without your help." His tone was ice cold.

Sakura shrugged it off and began to walk around the room. She pretended to observe her surroundings. In her mind, her thoughts were uncontrollable. Here she was, in a cramped room with the hottest guy in the school. She felt like she should be sexy or seductive. She wish she could. And then she could seduce him. She thought of the possibilities:

* * *

><p><strong>Option 1:<strong> Begin a carefully choreographed sexy dance routine. Including the song, _'Bootylicious'_ by Beyonce and a chair for the effect.

**Option 2:** Somehow trick him into playing a game of truth or dare. Then fortunately, end up on top of him and begin a hot make out session.

**Option 3:** Just jump him and rip his clothes off. (Yeah, this seems more rational.)

* * *

><p>Sakura shook the options out of her head, in time to catch Sasuke's voice.<p>

"Where are we?" He'd asked.

He'd walked further into the room now and stood beside her.

"I…don't know." And just then, that's when she noticed that it was an old music room. Pushed against the walls were all kinds of instruments and case. There were four pianos, a dozen saxophones, sixteen clarinet cases and staffs and stacks of music sheets and scores piled on top of each other. It was unbelievable. So many music materials stuffed in this one room.

Sasuke's eyes squinted and he walked over to the strings where, guitar cases and amps were placed beside the violins. It seemed to be over twenty of them. Every instrument or tool looked to be multiplied.

"It looks like an abandoned music room." He said as if reading Sakura's mind. She watched him as he straightened out his sleeve that she'd pulled on a few seconds ago. She realized that when she'd done that, that his shirt slid further down his shoulder, revealing several scars and a tattoo that seemed to spread from his shoulder to the skin near his collar bone. Sakura tried not to drool.

"U-uh yeah it is." She wiped dust from a staff leaning to the right. She began to wonder why this was abandoned. She tucked the key deeper into her jean pocket. She knew that Shika loved to be anywhere else than in class. But still. Why would this be here….and then it hit her. She knew why.

"Last year, when Tsunade became the principal, she saw how bad the school's test scores were and she noticed that we were in danger of losing our accreditation. We lost students to local schools." Sakura remembered this as she stared into the only window in the room. She was able to find out this information because of Iruka, her math teacher from last year. She just happened to be one of his favorite students…

Her eyes caught Sasuke's for a second. He was listening.

"So, when our old principle lost his job, she came in and made imminent changes. Such as this new tardy policy, full-time security in the hallways to prevent skipping, and disbanding distractions until improvement was shown in grades."

Sasuke's hand swept over the guitar string, giving out a sound.

"And she quickly gained respect. The first kid to act up in class was suspended for three days and sent to janitor duty. That's why we all try to stay out of her way."

The Hotness's eyebrows furrowed as if he was in deep thought. "Interesting." He grabbed a chair from the dusty rack and sat in it backwards. He looked sideways at the pink girl. "Tell me more."

Sakura blushed. And she tried to hide it. But she failed. She was being stupid though, giving all of this information to Sasuke like this. The look that he was giving said that he was going to try to mess with the rules. But she continued.

"She only allows music classes to those that succeed in academics, three times a week after school."

"And art classes?" He asked rubbing his chin.

"Twice after school from 2 to 4."

"Woodshop?"

"Same scenario."

"Damn," He smirked. "I can't believe this."

Sakura grabbed a chair from the same rack and sat down. "Believe it."

Her eyes peeked at him from her pink bangs. He was staring into the light, then he looked right at her. His eyes were shining.

"I can't. That's why I'm going to change it."

A rebel, huh? She'd thought. It wasn't fair, he was just going further up on her radar of hotness. Skipping class, ironic t-shirts, a non-conformer that refuses to follow authority. It was inspiring. And a shame, really. Sakura knew she was going to fall for him in no time.

"Good luck with that. I mean, don't get me wrong. Tsunade's not exactly a dictator. She gives us things such as a newspaper. And she let students start a radio show during lunches which only plays one genre of music." She mentioned this sarcastically, of course.

He scoffed.

Silence came over them. Sakura wanted to know so much about this guy, Like what The Sound is like, and why Karin and Ino approached him and if he could be considered the new addition to their group. And how he got that bandage on his arm. And just…everything.

But the bell rang. Thus, ending first period. Sasuke and Sakura both stood up.

"Uh…well I guess I'll see you around then?" She tucked a lock behind her ear.

He nodded. Saying nothing and exiting the room. Sakura sighed. How did she handle that? Did he think that she was some kind of talkative weirdo or something?

Her heart was racing. And she was pretty sure that her face was red. But as she took a quick look over the room before she left. She noticed that where Sasuke was sitting, something caught her eye. She looked down to see a notebook peeking out under a guitar case. It looked really tattered and dusty and worn and beat up. But in thick, uneven black letters the words said '**The Playlist Records**'.

She reached to pick it up but was startled by 'her' voice. She looked towards the door to see Sasuke there and an angry Tsuande in the doorway.

"So this is where you've been hiding, huh?" She snarled. "Come with me."

* * *

><p>Okay, so maybe the whole skipping idea was bad. Because not only did Tsunade drag both Sasuke and Sakura by their ears but more rumors were spreading. They were whispering.<p>

"Did you see that? That girl Sakura was caught in a closet with the hot new guy."

"Oh my gosh! What a whore!"

And not only that but while being dragged through the hallways, they just happened to pass Ino and her crew. She was staring very oddly, as if saying 'Wow, I've got even more dirt on you now, bitch.'. It was creepy. Sakura decided not to look for very long.

"What do you kids think you were doing skipping class in a closet?" Tsunade laughed lightly while sipping her small teacup. People would say that she'd spike her beverages in school with Sake.

"Uh…" Sakura began. She was really nervous. This was the first time she'd have a blemish on her record. Her eyes were all over the room as if looking for an escape route. She couldn't sit still. She was in so much trouble. Usually, she was the type to fly under the radar when it came to behavior. Shikamaru was the one who usually got busted for skipping, well only once or twice. But still. This wasn't her. At all.

She looked at Sasuke, who seemed to be as calm as ever. Behind him, students were attempting to peer in on the meeting. But Tsunade had closed the blinds. Even the staff of the office were talking.

"Wow, that little girl gets around!"

"But it's Sakura, she never does anything wrong!"

"That's not what I heard."

God dammit, Sakura thought. Of course, she always dreamed of being popular. But not like this.

"What did we think we were doing?" Sasuke repeated. "We were skipping, of course." He said this easily, so easily that it made Tsuande twitch. But she ignored it.

"I don't understand you kids you're-

"We're not _kids_." Interrupted Sasuke.

Tsunade looked surprised. Sakura was panicking.

"Well _kids_ are the ones who don't abide by my rules and skip class." She crossed her legs and looked back and forth between the two.

"Now, since you're new here, Mr. Uchiha, I'm not surprised that you'd want to test the waters here. Maybe at you're old school, they let such behavior pass. But not here."

Her eyes slid to Sakura, who was gripping her chair with remarkable force. "Now I'm surprised at you, Ms. Haruno. I had such high expectations for you. How sad."

Tsunade tapped her chin for a few seconds. "Now as for your punishments. After school tomorrow you will clean the science labs. Be prepared. And don't come to school in your nicest clothes, because I'm not giving you something to change in."

Sakura bit her lip. Tomorrow she was supposed to her mother out with the shipments coming in for the café. Not she'd have to lie and get out of it. Actually, this would be the perfect time to fake a sickness, or just faint. She wa a good actor, maybe a seizure would be more reasonable.

"If you kids try to skip this, then expect suspension for up to five days. Agreed?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sakura answered quickly.

"Whatever." Mumbled Sasuke.

Tsunade let them back out of her office. Sakura looked up at Sasuke, who had irritated expression on his face.

"Look, it's my fault you got into this mess. Sorry…"

He tucked his hands back into his pockets. "Don't worry about it. Now…I'm on her radar."

He walked away after that and out of the office, leaving all of the staff ladies swooning. And they had to be over thirty.

"Attention all students! It's **BlueEyedBeauty** and **CandyAppleRed** with your favorite pop play list during your hour long lunch period. And we're currently playing Beyonce's new song 'Run The World (Girls)'. We'd like to dedicate this to all of those girls out there and even those that steal your boyfriends and are caught giving blow jobs to guys in closets. Oops! Looks like that one slipped. Anyway, it's okay because we run the world girls!" They giggled and let the song play.

* * *

><p><strong>Now Playing: <strong>_**'**__Troublemaker' _by _**Weezer**_

* * *

><p><strong>October 4th<strong>** , Tuesday**

I think you already know what day it is of Ino's cold shoulder treatment. Today, just had to be worse that yesterday.

The Hotness may think I'm weird. And once he hears about the rumor, (of me giving me a bj in a closet). He's not going to want to be around me. Even though he knows it's not true.

Ino and Karin are planning something.

I got detention for skipping. Mom's gonna flip shit.

Dad's email still hasn't been talked about between me and mom.

And everyday is getting closer to Sayuri's birthday.

I don't know how much more of this I can take.

_Love and Music, _

-Sakura

* * *

><p>Sakura was tucked into a small corner in the hallway. She laid her head against the cool wall. Then she remembered.<p>

She reached into her book bag and pulled out the notebook.

"The Playlist Records." She said. And began to flip through the pages.

* * *

><p>Sasuke pulled into the parking lot of Akatsuki Auto Shop. He hated this place. If he could, he'd run far away from here.<p>

He stepped out and walked into the garage where the entire Akatsuki squad hung out.

Once he stepped in, he knew it'd be trouble.

Music was playing loudly from the speakers set in the garage.

"Well hey look who it is!" Howled Deidara, the spunky blonde who rolled out from underneath a car.

"Yeah, it's the guy who couldn't pull off a simple heist last night." Laughed Kisame, his sharp teeth showing in his grin.

What Kisame is speaking off is Sasuke's failed mission to jack a car last night. It was pretty simple, (well, that's what Itachi said.) He just had to bust into this car, steal it, and bring it back to the shop so they could use and sell the parts.

You see, Akatsuki Auto Shop, is a business. And all of the staff members had their jobs. But it was ran like a gang. You had to gain respect for what you did. No respect here equals no recognition. And that meant the same as getting bullied.

Sasuke glared hard. The only reason why he couldn't pull it off was because the car alarm had sounded. And that would attract attention. And okay, maybe he was already supposed to know how to avoid that. But still. He'd done this thousands of times before. He knew how to hotwire. He messed up. It was no big deal.

But Itachi just shook his head. He sat in a chair, feet propped up on an old 2003 Mustang, expression unreadable. He was ashamed of his brother. After all, he was the new kid around here. And they were brothers, and that meant that he'd have to stick up for him.

"Shut up, Kisame. Like we all don't remember the time you forget to put the car in drive when you had your first heist." Itachi mentioned calmly. Kisame immediately shut his mouth.

Everyone laughed. Sasuke looked around. Everyone was here, well except for a couple.

* * *

><p>Deidara (<strong>Bam<strong>!)

Sasori (**Puppet Man**)

Kisame (**Sharky**)

Zetsu (**Flytrap**)

Kakuzu (**Money Bags**)

Tobi (**Smiley**)

Hidan (**Holy Man**)

Itachi (**Killer**)

Pein (**Swirly Eyes**) _**Currently Absent**_

Konan (**Paper Mache**) _**Currently Absent**_

Suigetsu (**Sharky Jr**.)

Kiba (**Fangs**) _**Currently Absent**_

Sasuke (**Noob**)

* * *

><p>The place ran like this. The main leader was Pein, he had all the information on those who had the best materials and he just knew business. His girlfriend, Konan was always with him and she was one the most badest racers in town. But she didn't talk much. When Pein wasn't around, Itachi ran the show, and after him was his partner, Kisame. After that, no one really cared.<p>

Sasuke was quite surprised to find Suigetsu and Kiba here. After all, they were no older than him. He remembered when those two girls (he forgot their names) invited him to the table at school. He found out from Itachi that morning that two crew members attended his school. But he didn't mention who.

Everyone in the gang, excuse me, business had two things. A tattoo of the red cloud on their shoulder, decorated in a design of their choice. Second, everyone had a ring that was red, with the engraving of their nickname. To avoid everyone from recognizing it, the ring could be on your finger, ear, eyebrow, lip. The point is, it was a ring.

Once he sat down, he surveyed everyone and then caught eyes with Suigetsu. Slowly, the pale boy with purple eyes raised his sleeve and flashed him his tattoo.

And then he noticed the earring in Kiba's ear that said Fangs.

He guessed that Itachi had already filled them on who he was.

"Little brother, I am disappointed how your first assignment went. But I'm willing to give you another chance. So you're welcome."

Sasuke fumed. He hated when his bother called him that. "Look, if you just give me another car to jack I'll-

"No, no no." Itachi interrupted. Everyone looked back and forth between the two. "I tried to give you a hard assignment and you couldn't handle it. So I'll give you something easier."

"Damn it!" Sasuke yelled taking another step forward. "You know I can do this! Just let me-

"Excuse me. But I make the calls here, and if I don't think you're ready then you're not." The room was quiet. "Suigetsu, here is going to be hosting a party at his place next week. I want you to go and see if you can find a guy called Juugo. He's tall and has light eyes, you can't miss him." Itachi paused. "I want you to see if he possess anything suspicious in his car. Then report to me what you see."

Sasuke laughed. "Really, an investigation job. What am I? 7?"

Itachi raised his eyebrows.

"I want to race! That's what I'm good at! That's why I'm here!" His voice was shaking. Damn, he hated his brother.

"Well, prove it to me. Do the job and we'll see where that gets you."

Sasuke glared at him and swiftly left. He slammed his car door and zoomed out. Itachi wanted him to prove himself. Then he'd do it. He'll see.

"Wow, little brothers. I don't know how you do it, Itachi." Deidara laughed and scooted right back underneath the car.

Suigetsu stared after Sasuke and shrugged. Whatever.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru stretched his legs onto the roof of his house. He was currently sitting on his window sill, smoking a cigarette. He'd been told all of the facts and dangers of smoking, but ever since his one idol passed. He couldn't stop. That guy loved to smoke, in fact he'd always have a pack on his person. No matter what.<p>

But after he died, and being there when it happened shook Shika to his core. So ever since, he'd picked up a cigarette in his free time and smoke it to remember the good days. Of when he was alive.

His mind was free. He didn't go to school because he'd just got back from dropping off his dad at the airport. In his mom's car. His dad was involved with medicine and came up with prescriptions and drugs for those who needed it. He was a busy man. The opposite of himself.

He sighed. He couldn't stop those words from circling in his mind. Sakura had said the one sentence that he couldn't stand to hear.

"…_You still love her."_

It was like an echo.

Whenever he thought of that sentence. He'd remember. Her kiss. Her touch. Her scent. The colors Blonde and Blue.

He put his head in his hands. "I can't. I won't."

Just then he heard loud footsteps. And then all of a sudden his cigarette was rolling down the roof of his house.

It was Sakura. And she slapped the said cigarette out of his hand. "How many times have I told you to stop doing that!"

Shikamaru glared. "Who let you in my house?"

She sighed. "Your door was unlocked, stupid." He watched his friend throw herself onto his bed and stare up at his ceiling.

Shikamaru had this thing installed in his ceiling (because his dad made a lot of money) that allowed his to change it into a projection of clouds. Or stars.

Sakura was silent. So Shikamaru guessed that she wanted him to ask how her day was. Which he guessed happened to suck.

"So…how it'd go?"

"How'd it go? Because of what happened today, people think that I gave Sasuke a blow job in a closet and I got caught by Tsunade. I have DETENTION!" Her voice raised into a ridiculously high octave.

His eyes widened. He almost rolled off the roof. "You gave him a-

"No, I didn't but everyone thinks I did. I'm a whore now, Shika. Just call me that from now on…" She buried herself into his pillow.

"Well, did Ino do anything to you?"

"No, that chick is planning something. I mean, she announced that I was caught in a closet over the radio. But I have a feeling that she's not done." Sakura sighed and rolled over.

"But really. How did you find that place?"

Shikamaru paused. He hesitated, but decided to go ahead with it. "Remember Asuma?"

"Yeah…he died last year in a car wreck.."

Sakura knew what was coming. When they first became friends, Shikamaru was still dealing with his death. He was like Shika's other father. A best friend. A brother.

"Well, he'd always find me skipping and getting caught and stuff." He paused. "And one day he gave me that key, after I beat him in chess that day. I didn't know why. He'd said that he'd give me twenty bucks, but he gave me that instead."

Sakura paused. "I've noticed that place. It's so-

"Secluded? Yeah, it's the perfect place to skip."

"Yeah…not really. Me and Sasuke were skipping first in there. And Tsunade found us."

Shikamaru whipped around. "Did she say anything about locking it?"

"…No, I don't think she noticed. She was too busy dragging me and Sasuke through the halls. Speaking of which, that is not comfortable."

Her friend chuckled. "Well, you didn't get caught because of hiding there. You got caught because you didn't skip correctly."

"Psh. Whatever. I'm not doing it again. Me and Sasuke have detention tomorrow. Cleaning science labs, yay!"

Shikamaru plopped down beside his friends and they stared into the artificial clouds.

"You know, these aren't the same as real ones…"Sakura mumbled.

Shikamaru nodded. "I'd rather see the real ones. Let's go."

They both got up. But Sakura paused. "Oh, wait I gotta show you this. I found it in that closet."

"What?"

"This…"

He stared at the huge beat up notebook. It looked as though it'd been through hell. Papers were hanging out duct tape barely held it together.

"Yeah, it's like this book that's been in there for years. I think it's been in the school since the 60's." Sakura flipped through its pages, showing him how many people wrote in it. Pens and pencils of all colors and thickness. Notebook pages were taped in. There were doodles and pictures. And it was a lot.

"It's a notebook where everyone lists like, their favorite song, band, songs they hate, or favorite music moments…." She showed him that each page had a list of music. An infinite Playlist. There were lists that told you to list music your parents listened to when you were a kid, or list songs that you'd strip to and list moments in music that you'll never forget.

Shikamaru just looked at Sakura. Then a small post-it note peeked out from the first page. It said…

* * *

><p><em>Music can capture entire eras-simultaneously shaping our individual moods, identities, loves, fashion choices, and losses along the way. For many of us, music is one of the best reasons to be alive. This book will help capture the soundtrack for your life and hopefully bring back a lot of fond musical memories. I created this book as a big thank-you to all of my favorite musicians, singers, and songwriters. I hope you have fun filling it in…<em>

**-Lisa Nola**

* * *

><p>"Wow…" Shikamaru was quite amazed. Sakura smiled, a genuine smile that she hadn't shown in well, forever. And Shikamaru knew this. He watched her, as she enthusiastically told him about te notebook. He let her go on and on, even though he wasn't paying much attention.<p>

"Ino, like for real, what are you planning to do to her?" Tenten pressed.

Tenten, Ino, Karin and Hinata were in Ino's living room chilling on her expensive sofa. Tenten was flipping through the channels, trying to find something to watch. Karin was painting her nails black. Hinata was reading a book. And Ino stepped into the room with a bowl of popcorn.

As she sat down, the girls all turned to her, waiting for a response. "Well, I've already got something in mind." She chewed carefully on her popcorn. Tenten reached over her friends and grabbed a handful, spilling it almost everywhere.

"And that is…?" She said impatiently. Tenten was the most eager about the situation because, well she just liked to be involved with any prank.

"I really think you guys are taking this too far. Sakura doesn't-" Hinata began closing her book.

"Hinata, really. Sakura does deserve this, she's a freaking backstabbing whore." Karin said easily, twisting her nails to observe them carefully.

"Well, let's just say that for tomorrow, be ready to make a splash in detention…" Ino smirked.

Tenten grinned and Karin nodded. Hinata sighed and continued to read. There was no way that she was going to be a part of this…

* * *

><p><strong>note<strong> || second chap finished. wow! Also, if you guys would like to participate. I need more songs to list in here. So here's a topic:

List some music from your high school years.

It's for inspirational purposes. The more music, the better. And, they'll be in the next chapter. :P

Read + Review plz

|| x._**Body**Electrik_.x ||


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